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Hmmm. Interesting.
I watched him. “Are we done?”
I doubted Marcelo heard me. He damn sure never turned back my way.
Meanwhile, Gunner nodded. “We’re good for now, Reaper. Just make sure you don’t get yourself killed. No one wants to see Zuri or Carmen crying over you this week.”
I stood. “Don’t worry, Gunner. I’m not planning on dying anytime soon.”
The seven men at the other table rose too. Clearly, they would be with me from now on.
I made sure to stifle my annoyance.
I didn’t think I needed them, but if this would make Zuri happy, then I would oblige.
You really do love me, baby. Don’t you?
“But, remember this,” Einstein looked up from his book and stared at me. “A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green.”
I held out my hands. “What?”
“Francis Bacon.” Then, almost as an afterthought, Einstein lowered his head back into his book.
I paused, slightly taken aback.
The quote hung in the air.
I glanced at Gunner.
He shrugged.
Whatever.
I headed off and gestured to Anthony.
Come on, Siren.
Anthony handed the waitress of piece of paper and then gave her a wink as he headed off.
Chapter 16
The Past and Future
Leaving the vibrant chaos of Emerald City behind, I stepped out into the brisk night air, Anthony and the men in green trailed close behind.
The snow had picked up since being in the bar, further transforming the streets of Paradise City into a winter canvas.
Large, fluffy flakes drifted lazily from the dark sky, settling on the cars.
The men in green positioned themselves around Anthony and me.
Sighing, I dove into my pocket, grabbed the address, and handed it to Anthony. “This is our next stop. Francesca’s mansion.”
“It’s time to kill her?”
“It’s time, and with what I did at the Blood Den, she’ll have all her top capos around them.”
“Sounds good.”
I tilted my head to the side. “Will your connect with the Foxie Cherry dolls still be available, after we deal with Francesca?”
“My connect likes to breathe, so he will be waiting for me.” Grinning, Anthony took in the men in green. “You’ve got more people?”
“Apparently.” I headed toward the car.
Anthony got to my side and chuckled softly, his breath visible in the cold night air. “Looks like you’ve made some powerful friends. . .or babysitters.”
“My lady works for Rowe Street Mob.”
“Must be a high position for them to support her interests.”
“Very high.”
“This is a good thing, Reaper.”
Our steps crunched in the snow.
I shrugged, not entirely comfortable with the idea of being under someone else’s watch. But given the current circumstances, with Francesca’s bounty on my head, perhaps having Marcelo’s men around wasn’t the worst thing.
Continuing forward, I glanced at him. “You’re the leader of Viper Mob?”
“Yes.” His expression shifted to stern. “To know that is to be on a high level of my trust.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Many don’t know?”
“Many don’t need to know.”
“Who does Viper Mob think is running the show?”
“My father, and I like it like that.”
“Then, why does Marcelo know?”
“To keep Rowe Street Mob out of Shadow Heights, I negotiated a deal with them in Paradise City.”
“You got them good with the Diamond Syndicate?”
Anthony nodded. “I knew that if Marcelo finally had their own area, they would stop lurking in ours.”
“It worked?”
“Perfectly.”
I eyed him. “And when were you going to tell me?”
“When I knew I could truly trust you.”
We reached the car.
On the driver’s side, Anthony paused with his hand on the door handle. “Can I trust you, Reaper?”
“You can.”
“I meant what I said earlier when I picked you up this morning.”
That moment seemed so far from now. I’d gone from being imprisoned to free. A man without a child to a doting father at a tea party.
Anthony watched me.
Snow fell between us.
“I want to be your friend, Reaper. Your best friend.”
“You need one.”
“I don’t.”
“You do.”
I quirked my brows. “But why do you want to be my best friend?”
“A friend with your mind, strength, and power, could it be a good one to have. It would take Viper Mob to the next level.”
“That friendship sounds like a position.”
“Let’s get your revenge first.” Anthony winked and got into the car.
All around us, the men in green swiftly moved and rushed to their green cars. Soon, engines revved to life in the quiet snow-covered streets, ready to follow and protect me.
Zuri. Zuri.
I got inside.
Anthony wasted no time, starting the engine. As soon as it came on, the soulful radio station blasted in the car. Anthony shut it off and drove us away. “Earlier today, my plan had been to figure out what type of man you were.”
I snickered and reached into the back, grabbing my briefcase from Yu.
Anthony rounded the block and then took us toward Caviar Lime Highway. “We had a condo waiting for you with all the bells and whistles.”
I placed the briefcase on my lap. “I’m sure you did.”
“Every drug was there—weed, cocaine, meth, crack, heroin.”
